Photos & Story by Niulan Wright

​Mill Valley resident Carmen Zeni, owner of her eponymous pilates studio at 158 East Blithedale Ave., has been helping people get their bodies right for three decades, and the arc of her career can be described, quite literally, as one thing leading to another.

Thirty years ago, Zeni began working in San Francisco as a massage therapist, having trained in the healing arts of massage, Swedish sports massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, and eastern shiatsu and acupuncture. One of her gigs was with a chiropractor.

“People would come because they had work injuries,” Zeni says. “They would come for chiropractic work and then they would go to massage therapy, to me, and then also to pilates for rehab and regaining strength,” she says.

Amazed with the results she saw in her clients, Zeni started to do pilates herself.

“I was intrigued and marveled about the possibilities and the results [I saw in myself], so I started training others,” said Zeni.

Twenty years ago, Zeni launched Body Balance Mill Valley, a pilates studio for which she drew on her training in massage therapy and her ability to integrate all that she had learned previously into her work to further elevate it.

Over time, that practice has morphed into Carmen Zeni Pilates – same location – and Zeni says she’s most passionate about the versatility and creativity in her pilates work.

“Along with being able to make a difference for my clients,” she says. “Also, Mill Valley is just an extraordinary place to live and work. I really like working with all different kinds of people. I think pilates has a strong influence in their lives because it helps them feel more confident (and) stronger.”

Zeni’s studio is small, designed for personal training with one or two people. But she explains that having a smaller environment does not limit what a client can do but instead, gives them more privacy and, in fact, space.

“It's very versatile,” she says. “I use all the same machines but we can do all different types of things… everyone has a different and unique program.”

Zeni’s studio incorporates a Corealign machine, which helps clients work on their core as well as helping them find balance and alignment.

“I really feel that through the environment of fitness and healing, my work helps people become more empowered and comfortable with themselves and their environment,” she says.

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Former Mill Valley Mayor and City Councilman Clifford Waldeck has long been deeply involved in the local political scene.

But while his knowledge of the complexities of local and regional North Bay politics is widely known, Waldeck also recently showed that his political prognostications extend to San Francisco.

By predicting the the results of the June 5th election in San Francisco more accurately than anyone else, including the mayoral race, open board of supervisors seats and ballot measures, Waldeck won SF politics website The Usual Suspects' Best Political Mind contest. For doing so, he received a $500 gift card and the ever important "bragging rights."
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​“I’m one heckuva lucky person in every sense of the word," says Waldeck, a member of the MV Chamber. "My involvement with the Mill Valley Chamber, as well as the SF Chamber Public Affairs Committee and Bay Area Council greatly enhance my community involvement and business development opportunities.”   

Waldeck says the contest win won't cause him to quit his day job as head of Bay Area Business Development for Indoff Business Products, as he enjoys his commutes on Golden Gate Transit #4 bus into downtown San Francisco.  

"It’s the best of all worlds," he says. 

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Mill Valley has a bounty of incredible artists. With that in mind, as we designed the 2018 Enjoy Mill Valley Summer/Fall Guide, our all things-Mill-Valley mini-magazine that went out to 38,000 households within the June issue of Marin Magazine, we turned over the cover to them.

We were quickly reminded of the artistic talent that exists here in Marin. Among the plethora of great designs we received was from Janet Rumsey, a graphic designer and nature lover born in Mill Valley. Our jury of artists loved Rumsey’s quirky, nature-loving, summer-centric design (above at left) of her peering out at the world. Rumsey says she often takes photos from that vantage point “because you see what’s behind you and where you are but it’s not just the whole selfie thing. I enjoy creating images of people with growing minds – lots of flowers coming out of their heads. Grow your mind and go into nature.”

Rumsey's designs will be on display at the Mill Valley Chamber throughout August (85 Throckmorton Ave.), as will the work of a trio of painters whose work was among the finalists for the Cover Contest. Those artists – Eric Von Berg, Andrew Faulkner and Arlene Whiting – will be at the Chamber for a wine reception on August 7 (5:30-7:30pm) as part of the Mill Valley Arts Commission's First Tuesday Artwalk.

Von Berg, who studied art at a number of institutions, including the Florence Academy of Art, says he "delights in capturing the essence of the places and people around me," painting landscapes both in plein air as well as in his Sausalito Studio at the ICB, while oil painter Whiting, who attended Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and graduated from California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, says she's "found that I best experienced 'life' with a pencil or brush in my hand."

"As a child I celebrated coloring outside the lines," says Faulkner, a painter who was born into a family of artists, designers, and architects and works with oil, acrylic, mixed media and digital painting. "Those loose imperfect marks define my gestural painting style to this day. If painting were religion I would be praying to the the saints: Matisse, Diebenkorn and Hockney." Faulkner focuses  on abstract landscapes and architectural interiors. 

The celebration of local art throughout August includes a host of venues, including the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Seager Gray Gallery, Julie Zener Gallery, the Mill Valley Public Library, the Depot Bookstore & Café, City Hall, Famous4, the Mill Valley Community Center and the Throckmorton Theatre, among others. Receptions at each venue are Tuesday from 5:30-7:30pm. First Tuesday Artwalk Guide with venues and a map.

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The folks at the Sweetwater Music Hall are ready to head outside for some sunshine.

The downtown Mill Valley music venue, one of the most popular music venues in the North Bay, has unveiled Sweetwater in the Sun, an all-day concert on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Stafford Lake Park in Novato, featuring Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir along with many of the stalwart musicians that have performed at the Sweetwater.

Guitar wizard Steve Kimock and his multi-talented group of friends headline the event, and will be joined by some "very special guests," according to event organizers. The lineup also includes the Skiffle Players featuring Neal Casal, Cass McCombs, Dan Horne, Farmer Dave Scher and Aaron Sperske, as well as Jennifer Hartswick Band, featuring the longtime Trey Anastasio Band vocalist along with Bobby Vega and Neal Cassarino.

Country singer Maggie Rose will perform, and Kimock will hit the stage a second time as part of the Jerry Joseph & Steve Kimock Duo.

Sweetwater in the Sun will also have a Kids Grove Stage with music from Little Folkies Family Band featuring Irena Eide
Arann Harris & the Farm Band. The show will have face painting, magic, and arts & crafts!

The 411: Sweetwater in the Sun is an all-day concert on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Stafford Lake Park in Novato. 12pm-7pm. Tickets are $85 for adults, $35 for children under 12 and $120 for VIPs. Event is held rain or shine. Park is ADA accessible and an ADA viewing area will be provided. Parking is included in the ticket price. MORE INFO & TIX.

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Roots & Branches Conservancy's concert to benefit Mount Tamalpais State Park also features DJ Andy Cabic of Vetiver KNBR Bay Area radio personalities Murph & Mac (aka Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey) as Masters of Ceremonies. 

There are copious amounts of incredible takeaways from Miles Davis' spectacular 1990 autobiography. Two of the standouts are Davis' relentlessly creative use of an obscenity that rhymes with other-trucker, and his praise for pianist Herbie Hancock: “Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven’t heard anybody yet who has come after him.”

With an illustrious career spanning five decades and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for River: The Joni Letters, Davis' praise for Hancock continues to ring true – and Bay Area music lovers will get to experience his prowess first hand. Hancock has been unveiled as the headliner for the 2018 edition of Sound Summit: A Benefit for The Mountain, a day-long music festival to benefit Mount Tamalpais State Park. 

Sound Summit – executive producer and Mill Valley resident Michael Nash's double entendre moniker for the festival – is set for Saturday, Sept. 8 (11am–7pm) in Mt. Tam's 4,000-seat Cushing Memorial Amphitheater, home to the Mountain Play. Produced as an annual celebration of and fundraiser for Mount Tamalpais State Park by Nash's Roots & Branches Conservancy, the annual one-day festival has raised $175,000 for Mount Tam in its first three years.

Nash unveiled the lineup today, and it's bountiful beyond the man whose career has spanned myriad ebbs and flows in acoustic and electronic jazz, R&B and even the seminal "Rockit" during hip-hop's early years.

In a creative twist, Sound Summit is bringing back Grateful Dead legend and Mill Valley resident Bob Weir as a "special guest," so fans can likely expect the forever busy guitarist to sit in with any or all of the bands taking the stage at Sound Summit. Weir headlined in 2017 along with bassist and fellow Dead legend Phil Lesh. Weir is currently a member of Dead & Company and has also performed with many other acts including The Other Ones, Kingfish, Bob Weir Band, Bobby and the Midnites, Scaring the Children, Ratdog and Furthur, co-led by Lesh.

Nash also landed Grace Potter, who has been described by Spin as “one of the greatest living voices in rock" and heralded as one of today’s best live performers. Potter has shared the stage with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Robert Plant, The Allman Brothers, Neil Young, Mavis Staples, and The Roots, among many others, and recently joined Sheryl Crow in a tribute to the late Glenn Frey at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. While Potter has built a devoted fan base through her electrifying live show, she's seemed hell-bent of late on breaking out of the box when it comes to studio work.  Over the last three years, she's collaborated with the Flaming Lips for a Tim Burton film, written and produced soundtracks theme songs for film and TV, performed Grammy-nominated country duets with Kenny Chesney and joined The Rolling Stones on stage for a rendition of  “Gimme Shelter.”

Rising country star Nikki Lane, whose third album Highway Queen sees the young Nashville singer emerge as one of country and rock’s most gifted songwriters, will also perform, as will energetic Bay Area funk and soul ensemble Con Brio, fronted by charismatic singer Ziek McCarter who displays “the dance moves, splits and all, of James Brown” (KQED) and a tight, veteran band that “comes across like a party punk version of Sly and the Family Stone” (Consequence of Sound).

Vetiver frontman Andy Cabic also returns to Sound Summit after bringing his band Vetiver in 2017. This time Cabic will be DJing throughout the day. KNBR Bay Area radio personalities Murph & Mac (aka Brian Murphy and Paul McCaffrey) return as the day’s Masters of Ceremonies. 

In addition to Weir and Lesh and Vetiver, previous Sound Summits have featured Wilco, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jim James, Los Lobos, Dr. John & The Night Trippers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bill Frisell, The Mother Hips, among others.

Nash says he feels strongly that Sound Summit remain an eclectic music experience for its audience, where quality takes precedence over genre or preconceived notions of what kind of festival it is.

“We like to mix it up,” he adds. “Personally, I’m thrilled to have an iconic artist like Herbie Hancock headlining Sound Summit. His career has had an incredible arc and his artistry has influenced so many diverse musicians and continues to do so, both from his own generation and those that have followed. How cool is that?”

Sound Summit is produced by Roots & Branches Conservancy, the nonprofit organization Nash created to focus on the conservation of natural resources, both physical and cultural, via regional environmental and educational work. "Wherever possible, the organization aims to create intersections between the environment and the arts to their mutual benefit," Nash says. The annual one-day festival has raised $175,000 for Mount Tam in just its first three years. 

“Sound Summit continues to fulfill what we’d envisioned – a spirited community gathering in a stellar location with a great soundtrack,” Nash says. “It’s also throwback to a more grassroots, time-out-of-mind experience. There’s a certain synergy in the amphitheater between the artists and the audience, an intimate gathering amidst an expansive landscape.”
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​The 411: Sound Summit: A Benefit for The Mountain, is set for Saturday, Sept. 8 (11am–7pm) in Mt. Tam's 4,000-seat Cushing Memorial Amphitheater. Tickets go on sale on Friday, July 27 at 10am and are $110 for adults and $55 for youth 12 and under; children 2 and under are admitted free. MORE INFO & TIX.

Check out some selections from the bands performing at 2018 Sound Summit:

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In 1978, Richard Habib leapt headlong into the rug business. Forty years later, the owner of Alexander’s Artisan Rugs in Mill Valley is ready to celebrate that anniversary, as well as the 2nd birthday of the latest incarnation of his multi-faceted rug shop along the landmark brick walkway at 1 El Paseo Lane.

"I can't believe it's been 40 years – it's taken a lot of twists and turns, and I'm so grateful to my friends, family and customers for being with me through it all."

On Saturday, July 28 from 12pm-5pm, Habib is hosting an Open House to celebrate that pair of anniversaries with snacks and refreshments on hand. From 6pm-9pm, he's inviting friends and family to a VIP reception.

​Habib got his start in Southern California under the tutelage of the likes of John Iloulian, later co-owning a small chain of high-end custom flooring shops. In 1981, he moved to the Bay Area, first making a name for himself via his consulting business for estate sales and auctions, identifying and certifying the attributes of high-end rugs and carpets.

He then landed Habib a gig running a studio at the San Francisco Design Center, laying the foundation for Alexander’s Artisan Rugs, the business he’s owned for 27 years and brought back to Mill Valley in 2017.

Although Habib has remained deeply connected to the 94941 in a variety of ways – regularly running the Dipsea Race, fundraising for the new Mill Valley Community Center in the early 2000s, serving as an auctioneer at events for the likes of of the Rex Foundation, the Mountain Play and Blue Star Music Schools and DJing at benefits and events all over town – relocating his business last year back to the heart of Mill Valley brought him full circle.

“It has been amazing to be back here in Mill Valley,” Habib says of the town where he and his wife Sheila have lived for decades. “I always loved this space, and I’d walk by and fantasize about being here – just gorgeous architecturally with great ambiance.”

Whether it’s his expertise in the rug world or his seemingly ubiquitous presence at fundraisers and community events as an auctioneer or DJ – he serves on the board of Sara Wasserman’s Music Heals International and says “Music is just in my DNA” – Habib’s roots run deep in Mill Valley. He’s also hard to forget, draped in dapper threads that he accessorizes with hats and scarves.

“I’ve been dressing like this since I was a teenager,” he says with a laugh.

Habib’s shop was named Mill Valley Business of the Year by the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2000, and he often spearheaded local events and promotional campaigns. “I’m really excited to get back to that,” says Habib. “I’m thrilled to be in this space and have an opportunity to continue to give back to my community,” he says.

The 411: Richard Habib’s Alexander’s Artisan Rugs at 1 El Paseo Lane celebrates Habib's 40 years in the rug business and the 2nd anniversary of his shop in Mill Valley with an open house on Saturday, July 28 from 12pm-5pm, followed by a VIP reception from 6pm-9pm. MORE INFO.

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Spanning four Sunday afternoons in August, the Mill Valley Arts Commission's Concerts in the Plaza series has provided the perfect summer soundtrack for more than 30 years. The events – free and open to the public on the Depot Plaza – feature two bands each Sunday afternoon in August. Concerts in the Plaza begin at 3pm Sunday, with each band playing for 45 minutes. 

A pair of talented singers open the 2018 edition of this beloved series. Mill Valley singer Amelia Einhorn, aka MEELS, showcases her unique brand of indie-pop music at 3pm, followed by Chloe Jean, a former track star & model, performing her “raw, authentic, strong, fierce” and soulful songs at 4pm. 

One week later, the event gets a reggae infusion with North Bay reggae band Iriefuse (3pm), followed by Hoodoo Rhythm Devils’ co-founder Glenn Walters (4pm) performing with Ray Charles Project and his own eponymous band.

On Aug. 19, country rockers Shelby, Texas (3pm) provide the perfect opener for Solid Air’s jug band and rock songs (4pm). 

The series concludes with Redwood High singer Sarah Herzog and the Machiavelvets at 3pm, followed by acclaimed local guitarist Michael LaMacchia's New Music Foundation. The project brings fresh genre-blending songwriting and an ensemble of gifted and interconnected players to bear.

The 411: The Mill Valley Arts Commission's free Concerts in the Plaza span the four Sunday afternoons in August, each beginning at 3pm, with the second act at 4pm. Sets are approximately 45 minutes. Attendees are encouraged to "bring your lawn chairs and your dancing shoes." ​​MORE INFO.

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The Depot Bookstore & Cafe has always been known as a writer's haven, and on Thursday, July 26, an acclaimed novelist is unveiling and signing copies of his latest tome there.

Russell Hill, a three-time nominee for the Edgar Allan Poe prize given by the Mystery Writers of America, is set to read from his new book The Egret at 7pm. Hill says of the book, "This isn’t  a 'mystery' or a crime procedural in the purest sense. It’s a straightforward tale of obsession and revenge, and the protagonist is not sympathetic.  He is a man driven by a desire for revenge, and I thought, as I wrote this, about how I would react under similar circumstances."

Hill is the author of more than a dozen books, including the critically acclaimed novels Lucy Boomer and The Edge of the Earth, the short story collection The Heeler, and the poetry collection Letters From the Mines. He was also the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship, which enabled him to spend a year in England, the setting of his Hard Case Crime novel, Robbie’s Wife.

Both Lucy Boomer and The Lord God Bird have been optioned for film, and his work has been translated into French, German, Polish, and Japanese. He is an avid fly fisher and his book, The Search for Sheepheaven Trout has become a “cult classic” among fly fishers.

The 411: Novelist Russell Hill debuts and signs copies of his new book, The Egret, at the Depot Bookstore & Cafe, 87 Throckmorton Ave., on Thursday, July 26 at 7pm. Free.

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If there was any worry that 14 years was too long for Pixar to wait before releasing a sequel to The Incredibles, the 2004 film about a family of undercover superheroes, that uncertainty was obliterated last month, when Incredibles 2 hit the big screen and delivered a record-shattering $180 million opening weekend and $544 million to date.

​For those that want a refresher on the original or simply can't get enough of the Parr family, Frozone and the criminals that keep them busy, the 2018 Mill Valley Movies in the Park series has you covered. The Incredibles is the next film up in the series of free, ever-popular outdoor screenings in the gorgeous redwood grove of Old Mill Park. 

Seating is general admission, and attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and/or low beach chair. The main feature begins at sunset, in this case approximately 8:15pm.

After an incredibly successful fundraising campaign to raise enough money to purchase all of the equipment required to produce the series on their own – propelled by a $5,000 grant from the Outdoor Art Club – Mill Valley Recreation, the Mill Valley Chamber and the California Film Institute have made the movie series bigger and better than ever. The 2018 Movies in the Park series now stretches across five screenings from June through October.

The series continues on Sept. 7 with The Lion King, the massive 1994 hit that will be followed up in 2019 with a live action version starring Beyonce and Donald Glover, and Oct. 5 with 2016's Zootopia, which will screen during the opening weekend of the 41st Mill Valley Film Festival. 

Support the free Movies in the Park series by donating here!

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From longtime Mill Valley mainstays Joe's Taco Lounge, Grilly's and The Cantina to the more recent arrivals like Playa, the 94941 boasts some of the best Mexican restaurants in Marin, if not the North Bay as a whole.

Parranga Taqueria & Cerveceria, a new "fine casual" Mexican restaurant restaurant from the team behind the popular Colibri in San Francisco, is the latest arrival on the scene and is set to open in the former Plant Café space in Strawberry Village on July 25, with a grand opening event and Mill Valley Chamber ribbon cutting set for one day earlier. The restaurant is donating 15 percent of all proceeds form its opening day to Bridge the Gap, a nonprofit organization that provides programming aimed at preparing Marin City students for college success.

Colibri and Parranga owner Eduardo Rallo and executive chef Jose Miguel Smith Bustos have created a menu that includes tacos, ensaladas and tortas "with bold Mexican flavors that combine fresh, slow-cooked rotisserie meats with Northern California ingredients."  The menu also boasts "fresh juices, agave wine margaritas and chilled cervezas" and an atmosphere that encourages eating "on communal tables and over board games and ping-pong."

The renovated space, designed by Tirzah Ortiz of Walnut Creek’s Filthy Gorgeous, combines "the flair of New Mexico with contemporary California style, utilizing corrugated tin walls, vintage wood tables, colorful metal chairs, concrete floors and neon signage," Rallo says.

The new eatery's name stands for "endless joy, and represents a meaningful gathering place." It is drawn from the tiny Mexican town, Parangaricutirimicuaro, where a volcano suddenly emerged in 1943, baffling scientists worldwide. "Parranga is a derivative of the longest word in the Mexican language and has since evolved into a playful tongue twister that brings joy to children all over," Rallo says.
 
Parranga will be open for lunch and dinner to start, with breakfast and weekend brunch to follow. 

The 411: Parranga Taqueria & Cerveceria opens Wednesday, July 25 at 800 Redwood Highway, Suite 801, with a grand opening event set for 6pm on July 24. MORE INFO. 

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At a ceremony in San Francisco, Tam Junction-based firms were honored for their residential and commercial work in Mexico.

A pair of Tam Junction architecture firms won a trio of awards at the PCBC's Gold Nugget Awards, widely known as the “Academy Awards” of the building industry.

Chris Dorman of Dorman Associates, Michael Erskine of Integrated Design Studio (IDS) and their respective teams garnered honors at an awards show in San Francisco presented annually to the top innovators in design, planning and development. The competition is open to builders, developers, architects, and land planners with communities and projects across the United States and internationally.

Dorman Associates and IDS won a pair of awards for their work at Flora Farms, "a farm-to-table culinary mecca" in foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains in northwestern Mexico. The awards were for “Best Innovative Housing Design” for the Haylofts at Flora Farms, as well as an “Award of Merit for Best Residential Detached Housing in the Cluster Housing 8 to 15 Dwelling Unit Per Acre” category for the Culinary Cottages at Haylofts, also part of the Flora Farms resort project. Dorman Associates also won for “Best Special Use Project” for El Merkado, a 3,500-square-meter marketplace of food shops and eateries in San José del Cabo, B.C.S., Mexico.

In issuing the award to the firms for their work on Flora Farms, the PCBC judging panel said, “Flora Farms should receive special recognition for community innovation and vision, and for the enhancement of the guest experience thru numerous indoor and outdoor lifestyle activities and amenities within the farm environment.”

“We’re thrilled to receive such recognition from leading figures in the homebuilding industry,” says Erksine, whose firm specializes in planning and landscape architecture. “Our unique model emphasizes collaboration between clients and the design team, and we feel Flora Farms is a standout example of the added value this collaboration achieves.”

“With an understanding of communal spaces, we create worlds where people can intersect in an environment of shared interests, in a space that is imagined and created around community and human connection," Dorman adds. "We design for an environment that is about the interaction of individuals and their relationship to each other."

Dorman says his firm and IDS benefit from being newcomers to hospitality industry design and eschewing traditional resort architecture.

"It's a re-imagined experiential architectural style that represents a human centered approach that strives for authenticity and capitalizes on the unique environment at hand, rather than compromising by creating a wholly expected experience," he says.

This is not the first Gold Nugget Award for Dorman Associates. In 2016, the firm won the PCBC’s top award for Home of the Year for its design of the Flora Farms Cottage, which “captured the judge’s hearts," according to PCBC's statement.

Located approximately 10 minutes from Cabo de San Jose, the organic farm resort community of Flora Farms' Haymarket Lofts feature metal and collapsible glass panel walls that open up to private swimming pools and gathering areas, while uncovered operable windows offer unobstructed views yet are oriented for shade, making the design respectful of both the landscape and the unique nature-driven guest experience.

Dorman and IDS are making a name for themselves with their signature experiential architecture approach not just with Flora Farms and El Merkado, but upcoming developments as well, particularly with Watershed, the new restaurant in the Mill Valley Lumber Yard from Ged Robertson, founder of Small Shed Flatbreads, owner of the Shoreline Coffee Shop and co-founder of the Sweetwater Music Hall & Cafe. Watershed is set to open in the coming months,

MORE INFO ON DORMAN ASSOCIATES.
MORE INFO ON IDS.

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For decades, the vast stretch of vegetation-laden steep hillside at 500 Miller Avenue between Reed Street and the former Taco Bell/KFC building has sat vacant. While longtime residents recount the property's one-time use as a quarry and a landslide there in 1969 that brought Miller Ave. to a standstill, there have been infrequent indications of its fate since then. 

All that changed last year, and what comes next could go a long way toward determining Mill Valley's housing future.

In late 2017, 23-year Mill Valley resident Agustin Maxemin, who bought the property for $2.9 million with his partners at Forbix Capital, began the permitted work of excavating nearly 11,000 cubic feet of soil to build a massive retaining wall that is critical for stabilizing – and thus developing – the site. That work paused during the rainy season per the City's grading moratorium and continued in the spring.

Now the project – named Tam'Andari, which incorporates Mt. Tamalpais and the Sanskrit word for "noble community" – heads back to City Hall for a process that presents a significant choice for the community and City officials.

That choice pits an already approved project consisting of nine large condo units and nearly 5,000 square feet of commercial space – one that doesn't meet the City's new design guidelines for mixed-used developments or include any affordable units  – vs. Maxemin's new proposal for 28 condo units that vary from small to large and include seven below market rate units, as well as 3,900 square feet of retail space and all of the required parking for the units contained on site.

The project also includes a community space at the western end of the project, featuring a public art component in the form of a Clepsydra, a water clock of Greek origin that operates through the use of water to provide function to the timepiece. Maxemin says the Clepsydra would be unique to Mill Valley and that he hopes to work with local arts and school groups to design a feature that can serve as a landmark to the community.

"We have an already approved project that I inherited, that I will build if I have to," Maxemin says. "But we think we can do a lot better for this community in terms the quality of the project and the number of units that we'll have for workforce housing."

Maxemin and Donna Huntingdale, the Tam'Andari project manager, have been meeting with City officials and various local stakeholders to seek feedback on the proposal, and say they are willing to incorporate that feedback.

So how did we get here? A bit of background:

Public hearing signs and story poles went up at 500 Miller in 2010, revealing then-owner Al Von der Werth's long-delayed plans to build a mixed-use development of condominiums, retail and office space. A year later, Von der Werth garnered approval to build a project with 30,600 square feet of enclosed space, with nine condos and slightly less than 5,000 square feet of commercial space, on two levels at the western end of the project. The approval ended Von der Werth's quest that dated back to 2005 and spanned more than a half-dozen study sessions and multiple hearings from both the Planning Commission and City Council.

But 2011 wasn't exactly a booming economy, and the project stagnated for a variety of reasons. Von der Werth obtained several extensions of his approval as provided by the state for this type of project during the economic recession. He eventually put it on the market.

Like many residents, Maxemin had been driving by the property for years, wondering what would come of it. A local friend reached out to him about buying the project from Von der Worth when it went up for sale, telling him that “I was the logical guy for it given my background,” he says. “I build retaining walls – I’m not afraid of the challenges presented by this site.”

Maxemin’s portfolio under the umbrella of his Armax Corp. includes well-known local projects like DeSilva Island, the 42-acre development of 62 townhomes and single-family homes that sits just northeast of the Richardson Bay Bridge in Mill Valley. But it also spans well beyond the 94941, including award-winning mixed-use projects throughout the Bay Area, including several in San Francisco and in communities like Burlingame, Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Jose.

Upon his purchase of the property, Maxemin finalized his permit with the City for the retaining wall construction and associated grading with the City. Under state law, the City was required to issue the permit for this first phase of site improvements. These site improvements included site excavation, site retaining walls, and drainage improvements. Images and information on the existing approval can be found here.

While the current approved project remains valid, Maxemin wants to move forward with a project that includes 28 condominium units that would distribute the commercial uses throughout the first floor rather than be in a separate building. He says the location is ideal for something that addresses Mill Valley workforce housing needs, particularly given its proximity to a bus stop and location on one of the city's two main corridors.

Maxemin intends to increase the total project size to approximately 51,500 square feet. He says he's able to add 19 more units to Von der Werth's project without a commensurate increase in total square footage by reducing the per-unit size. While the Von der Werth project called for condo units ranging from 1,220 square feet to 1,530 square feet, each with two parking spaces, Maxemin's project will have six, one-bedroom units between 540 and 690 square feet, and another 22 two-bedroom units between 790 and 1,600 square feet. 

Maxemin says the project will have 64 on-site parking spaces, up from 41 on the current approved project, and is not seeking a parking variance from the City. All parking required for the project is provided on-site, he says. He's done so by creating "stacked parking" for the two-bedroom units and for one of the retail spaces. Other traditional parking spots accommodate the one-bedroom units and the remaining retail spaces, with two spots shared between those two uses.

In going to the City for a new approval, Maxemin's project must adhere to rules that the City has approved since Von der Werth garnered his approval in 2011. The biggest of those is the City's September 2017 passage of an affordable housing ordinance that, among other things, requires all multi-unit development to make at least 25 percent of the units below market-rate housing. In this case, that means seven of the 28 proposed units.

Maxemin says it's important to him that the project “complies with state and local codes that have been implemented since the project’s approval." That includes the City's June 2016 passage of Multi-Family Residential and Mixed Use Design Guidelines and Development Standards, rules and design requirements that cover issues such as parking, floor-area ratio (FAR, or allowed building square footage) and density, among other things.

The City created those news rules as part of its 2015-2023 Housing Element, a document that guides all of the City's policies on development and is contained within the MV 2040 General Plan, the City’s constitution of sorts. One of those design guidelines dictates that development in the Gateway area of Miller Ave. – from La Goma Street outbound to Camino Alto – should have a density range of between 17 units per acre and 29 units per acre. The project site is 52,677 square feet, which equates to approximately 1.21 acres.

Maxemin says it's vital to have the project "better complement the beauty of the hillside. The hillside must be incorporated into this project in a real way and match the character and landscape of the town."

To that end, he has retained Mill Valley landscape architecture firm Royston Hanamoto Alley and Abey (RHAA), which has worked on an array of local projects like the Miller Avenue Streetscape Project and the Bayfront Community Garden, along with San Francisco’s Union Square and Mission Dolores Park.

Maxemin also retained Nardi Associates, a Monrovia, Calif.-based architectural firm that has projects all over California and Mexico. Firm founder Norberto Nardi has been invited to exhibits its designs for projects like the San Francisco International Technology Center near the SFO International Airport and the Olympic Tower in downtown Los Angeles at the La Biennale di Venezi’s International Architectural Exhibition in 2018, and Maxemin says Nardo will be including his designs for 500 Miller in his exhibit.

"We're excited to create something that the community can be proud of," Maxemin says.

To provide feedback on the proposal, email Donna Huntingdale.

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It's been four years since the death of Robin Williams, the legendary comedian and actor and longtime Mill Valley fixture.

But for his legions of local fans and regulars at the Throckmorton Theatre's Tuesday Night Comedy show, it seems like just yesterday that he'd regularly pop in for unannounced sets that left audiences delirious and exhausted.

​For those diehards and anyone who wants to bask in the laughter and the memories, the Throckmorton is hosting Robin Williams Birthday Celebration, "a showcase of comedy and stories from performers who knew and loved him." Tickets are $22-40 and all proceeds from the evening go towards the Throckmorton Theatre’s Creative Inspiration Fund, "in honor of Robin’s enduring legacy of creative inspiration, collaboration, and mentorship."

"​For more than 10 years, the Throckmorton Theatre was honored with the extraordinary gift of Robin Williams showing up backstage, onstage, and in the audience," organizers said in announcing the event. "Robin’s genius and generosity inspired magnificent artistry on the Throckmorton’s stage and around the world, and he continues to deeply affect the Throckmorton’s creative endeavors."

The event comes at a time when Williams' life is getting worldwide attention once again with the release of Marina Zenovich’s documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, which premiered this week on HBO, and New York Times culture reporter Dave Itzkoff’s recently released biography Robin. "Both respectfully try to shed some light on Williams’ craft and life and the ways in which one informed the other," according to Rolling Stone. "And both succeed, albeit for different reasons.
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The 411: Throckmorton Theatre hosts Robin Williams Birthday Celebration on Saturday, July 21 at 8pm. 142 Throckmorton Avenue. Tickets are $22-40. MORE INFO & TIX.

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​​Organizers of the 62nd Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival are laying the groundwork for the next edition of the landmark local arts event and are on the hunt for dedicated volunteers – a critical component to the event's success. The 62nd MVFAF is set for  the event, set for Sept. 15-16 in Old Mill Park.

"Just as we need air to breathe, the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival needs volunteers to make this milestone event a huge success," says Erma Murphy, the festival artist liaison. "The long and rich history of this event is a tribute to the fabulous community of people who are resolved to squeeze every last drop of pleasure and enjoyment out of life in and around this extraordinary place we all call home. This event is all about community and continuity and we hope very much you share our pride in this festival."

​Prospective volunteers can go here to review the jobs, days, times and sign up. Questions? Here's an FAQ on volunteering at MVFAF.

Festival organizers say that approximately 90 percent of the slots are filled by repeat volunteers, so new volunteers should sign up soon. If you have any questions about the Festival or the process of volunteering, email Phil Garratt, Volunteer Coordinator.

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